What is the difference in people using improved drinking water sources between Malawi and South Africa?

183,598 people, with Malawi ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and South Africa?

25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.

Where does this data come from?

WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as People using improved drinking water sources. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Malawi vs South Africa: People using improved drinking water sources

Malawi

904,718 people

in 2024

South Africa

721,120 people

in 2024

Malawi rank

49th

South Africa rank

51st

People using improved drinking water sources over time

Malawi
South Africa

How they compare

Malawi currently reports 904,718 people against 721,120 people in South Africa, a difference of 183,598 people.

That makes Malawi's figure about 1.3 times South Africa's.

Across all 25 years both countries report, Malawi has been ahead every year.

Malawi ranks 49th and South Africa ranks 51st of 231 countries.

Malawi has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Malawi	South Africa	Difference	Ahead
2000s	2.58 million people	1.74 million people	830,748 people	Malawi
2010s	1.99 million people	1.22 million people	770,680 people	Malawi
2020s	1.18 million people	830,134 people	353,870 people	Malawi

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher people using improved drinking water sources, Malawi or South Africa?: Malawi, at 904,718 people against 721,120 people in South Africa as of 2024.
What is the difference in people using improved drinking water sources between Malawi and South Africa?: 183,598 people, with Malawi ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and South Africa?: 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
How do Malawi and South Africa rank globally for people using improved drinking water sources?: Malawi ranks 49th and South Africa ranks 51st of 231 countries.
Where does this data come from?: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as People using improved drinking water sources. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Malawi vs South Africa: People using improved drinking water sources. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/compare/number-of-people-in-the-world-with-and-without-access-to-improved-water-sources/malawi/south-africa/

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<a href="https://environment.statizoid.com/compare/number-of-people-in-the-world-with-and-without-access-to-improved-water-sources/malawi/south-africa/">Malawi vs South Africa: People using improved drinking water sources</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: People using improved drinking water sources
Unit: people
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 231 places, 5,586 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed: 28 August 2026

Number of people using only unimproved drinking water sources.